


No Right

by Osmee



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-30
Updated: 2013-11-30
Packaged: 2018-01-03 00:55:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 913
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1063748
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Osmee/pseuds/Osmee
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An alternate ending to "Repairs." I thought Skye went to visit May in the cockpit to apologize for being judgmental throughout the entire episode, but when that didn't happen, I decided to write my own ending.</p>
            </blockquote>





	No Right

Although they had just finished one, Skye strode into the cockpit like a woman on a mission. “Mind if I join you?” she asked, once they were back in the air after dropping Hannah off with some out-of-state relatives.

Skye knew Agent May long enough not to expect a response, but as long as the woman didn’t bodily throw her out of the room, Skye figured she wasn’t encroaching. Plopping into the co-pilot’s chair, Skye stretched her legs, slipped off her flip flops, and tucked her bare feet underneath herself so her soles were rubbing against the upholstery. It was leather and buttery and probably came straight from the hide of some luxurious species of rare cow.

Thinking better of her posture, Skye straighted up so her deportment matched May’s. As the older woman worked the controls, flicking switches and steering the wheel without so much as a sideways glance--honestly, her ability to stare straight ahead without flinching was uncanny--Skye gathered her thoughts together. It was hard knowing what to say to a woman who was so anti-social, she had not left the cockpit for the past twenty-four hours except, presumably, to use the restroom.

“Sooo,” Skye ventured, instead, “this place is kind of like your man cave, isn’t it? Woman cave. Bat cave. Which makes you Batman. That’s a major compliment, of course, considering the Dark Knight makes carrying a chip on your shoulder and childhood trauma look absolutely badass.”

No response.

Skye pressed on. “I get it. The cockpit is like your version of my van, but with a much better view.”

There was only the sound of equipment humming and the intermittent beep from the radar screen.

“That said, I do return to civilization afterwards. Because people need people to know they’re alive." Skye scratched her head. "No, that’s not the right quote. Still, it’s not good to be alone all the time.”

Flipping on the autopilot, May swiveled around so quickly that before Skye could blink, they had made eye contact. Suddenly, the cockpit felt a lot smaller.

“Is there a point you’d like to make before leaving?” Agent May’s words were polite, but laced with irritation.

Skye gulped. If she weren’t sitting down, she would have backed away several paces. Instead, Skye looked out through the windshield at the view, which in the gathering gloom was as inscrutable as the woman beside her, and took a deep breath.

“After that case with Hannah, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking. I shouldn’t have been so hard on you about your shoot-first policy. I mean, I might not agree with your methods, but you were only trying to fix the problem. And now that I understand where you’re coming from, regardless of what went down in Bahrain, I want you to know we’re here for you. All of us, Coulson, especially. I think it would be good for you not to be alone so often—“

Skye looked around to realize she was talking to an empty room.

\---

Coulson was painstakingly gluing together the last few pieces of a table top model of the USS Grunion when his office door banged open without warning. He jerked up, knocking the torpedo tubes on the gun deck over in the process, to see Agent May looming over him. She was close enough for him to see his reflection in her flinty eyes, and he cursed mentally in dismay.

“How dare you?” she spat, as he inserted himself between her and his precious submarine.

“What do you mean? What’s wrong?” Coulson asked, looking nervously at the exit.

“You had no right divulging my personal details to anyone.” She narrowed her eyes. “Least of all my worst nightmare.”

His eyes widened with understanding. “I’m sorry. I didn’t think—"

“No, you didn’t. Why?”

Coulson sighed. “FitzSimmons fed her an outrageous cock-and-bull story about why you were called the Cavalry.”

A muscle in May’s cheek clenched almost imperceptibly, but Coulson had years of experience reading her face. Despite her stony expression, she looked betrayed. “It’s none of her business. And none of yours what she thinks of me.”

“I had to set her straight.”

“I’d rather face her judgment than her pity.”

Coulson’s heart sank. Melinda May didn't care what others thought because she still judged herself for something that shook her so deeply, she still couldn't share it with anyone. “Oh, Melinda. All these years, you haven’t forgiven yourself.”

For a moment, it was as if he could see her worst memories resurfacing. It was like seeing her when they first made rendezvous after that botched mission, hollow and haunted. Then her eyes lost that distant look. “I don’t want yours, either.”

“No, that’s not what I meant. I don’t know how to make it up to you, but I will. I promise.” He couldn’t stop babbling, he was so afraid of what she would say next.

Melinda took a deep breath, in through her mouth and out through her nose, the way he had seen her do countless times after Bahrain. “Agent Coulson, I’m handing in my notice.”

“What! You can’t,” Phil protested, practically shouting. “I need you here, Melinda. You said you had my back.”

Phil winced. It was possibly the worst thing he could have said, but the desperation behind his words was real.

Agent May looked at him for a very long time. “And I thought you had mine, Phil.”

Then, without another word, she turned around and left.


End file.
